Glove for restraining wrist motion



April 11, 1939. I H. J. CALLAWAY 2,154,197

GLOVE FOR RESTRAINING WRIST MOTION Filed Oct. 25, 1937 INVENTOR M WJ Jay10%;

ATTO RN EYS Patented Apr. 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GLOVE FORRESTRAINING WRIST MOTION 4 Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for controlling wrist motion,and in its more particular aspects to a glove having means incorporatedtherein for restraining, but not preventing, wrist movements of thewearer. Since the glove is particularly designed, though not necessarilylimited, for use as an aid in the instruction of golfersin the executionof a proper swing, it will be particularly described hereinafter withreference to that problem.

The power which can be imparted to a golf ballthrough a club is, ofcourse, dependent upon the momentum given to the head of the club inswinging it. Best results can be obtainedonly by the controlled use ofthe body, arms and wrists. The body and arms are principally effectivein starting the club on its downward movement; the wrist to impart asnap and obtain maximum velocity of the head at the moment of impact. Agreat deal, if not the major portion of the momentum, is achieved bythat wrist snap.

Obviously a proper down swing must be predicated upon an equally properbackswing Many golfers fail to attain maximum distance, and accuracy,simplybecause of a'failure to back swing correctly. Insteadof pivotingas the club approaches the top of its backward movement, they breaktheir wrists and lay the club across the shoulder. Thereafter, ofcourse, the ist must first be brought in action to lift the club fromthe shoulder to a position from whence the body and arms can becomeeffective. Then, however, as the club is brought downwardly the wristsare not in a position to impart the necessary snap and the club can onlybe pushed against the ball.

The fault results not from a lack of knowledge of what should be done,but from an inability to analyze the stroke as it progresses, and aconsequent inability to recognize the error at its inception. Withoutthat knowledge it becomes substantially impossible to apply acorrection.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide means foropposing any incorrect wrist movement during the course of the executionof a backswing. The aim is to provide a device for warning the golfer ofincipient failure, not one for preventing it; an aid to the learning ofthe game, not a mechanical cure for acquired faults.

The invention may be briefly described as comprising a glove which isadapted to be fitted tightly to the wearer's hand and a part of theforearm, and a plurality of resilient stays affixed to the glove andextending across the wrist joint in such a way as to oppose movement ofthe wrist in certain directions. Its full nature, along with otherobjects and various features thereof will 5 be more apparent from aconsideration of the following description in the light of theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a glove incorporating the principlesof the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the palm side of a glove in which theinventive concept is applied 35? in a manner different from that of Fig,l; and,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a golfers hands and forearms, with aglove of the present invention applied to one of them, and illustratesthe positions of his wrists and fingers at substantial- 0O ly the top ofa backswing,

In its preferred embodiment (Fig. 1) the invention comprises a glovehaving a portion l0 covering the hand of the wearer, a cuff H extendingacross the wrist joint (indicated by the line X-X), and over someconsiderable part of the forearm, and a plurality of resilient stays 12extending lengthwise across the wrist and so located as to be capable ofopposing movement of the wrist in certain directions. In the golf gloveof this figure these stays are arranged partly on the back and partly onthe inner side. Specifically, the first stay l2a. is applied to theinside of the hand, in line with the thumb l3, and extends from a pointadjacent the thumb knuckle M to the wrist X-X, and for substantially anequal distance from that point along the cuff ll the third stay l2c islocated on the back of the glove, aligned with the forefinger l5, andextends from a point adjacent the knuckle It thereof substantiallyparallel to the first one Ma; and the intermediate stay 21) lies betweenthe two and is of substantiallythe same length. In the preferredembodiment the stays are carried in pockets 20 formed on the glove as isshown in Figs. 1 and 2. They are not rigidly attached to the glove andmay, accordingly, have some slight movement relative to the glove. Inpractice it has been found that these stays should be fairly soft andtheir length should be substantially as above defined. If, however, thematerial of which they are made is fairly stiff, then their length maybe considerably reduced. The prime factor is to have them arrangedacross the wrist joint, and extending in opposite directions forsubstantially equal distances from that point so as to be capable ofopposing wrist motion.

In order for the stays to perform their functions the glove should befitted fairly snugly over the hand, wrist and forearm of the wearer; andproper adjustment can, in the preferred embodiment, be obtained bydrawing the lacing l! to a greater or lesser extent. This lacing may beused, if desired, to unloosen the glove whenever it is applied orremoved. That can be done more easily, however, by the use of theseparable fastener l8.

The particular utility of the glove, and its advantages, can best beunderstood by considering the functions which it performs during theexecution-of a golf stroke. Assuming that a righthanded golfer has drawnthe glove over his left hand, and has laced it to a proper tightness,then as he lifts the club by the combined use of the wrists and thearms, he will find that the resilient stays do not appreciably hinderhis movements until he approaches the top of the backswing shown in Fig.4. If, at that point he should break his wrists, and his grip on theclub, in an effort to lay its shaft across his shoulder, then he willfind that the resilient stays immediately oppose any such action. Thenormal, natural, and correct thing to do in that event is to maintainthe grip on the club, and hold the wrists in their cocked position, andto complete the backswing by pivoting the body. From that position thedownswing can be executed properly, with the body first re-pivoting, thearms then uncoiling, and as the club approaches the nadir of its arcuatemovement, the wrists snapping to impart a final impetus to the clubhead.

The resilient stays l2, as has hereinbefore been mentioned, are notdesigned, nor do they have sufficient strength, to preclude movement ofthe wrist in any particular direction; nor are they capable of impartingany additional snap to the wrist as the swing is completed. Their solefunction is to oppose incorrect movement, and by that opposition to givewarning of an incipient fault.

A modified form of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 3. In thatfigure the glove is substantially identical with the one shown, in Fig.1, having the same hand portion Ilia and the same cuff Ila. Thedifference will be found in the positioning of the stays l2, which,instead of being placed on the back, are placed on the palm side. Thearrangement, however, is generally similar, the first one l2aa beingplaced along the outer side of the hand, and extended from a jointadjacent the knuckle l 9 across the wrist and for some considerabledistance along the cuff, and with the second and third ones IZbb andi200 paralleling the first and extending for substantially an equaldistance along the cuff.

In Fig. 1 and also in Fig. 3, the gloves shown have separate sheaths foreach of the fingers of the hand. It will be readily apparent from theforegoing that these sheaths have no particular utility in connectionwith the present invention, and the gloves might just as well be reducedto mitten-like proportions.

While the invention has been shown and particularly described inconnection with its use as an aid to the instruction of golfers, it canreadily be adapted to any situation wherein wrist motion restraint isdesirable. In playing tennis, for example, the wrist must in a largemajority of instances be cooked in its strongest position. For thispurpose the gloves of Figs. 1 and 3 would preferably be modified bymolding the stays l2 to a shape corresponding to that of the wrist whencooked to the preferred position. Whether so shaped or not, however, itwill be evident that the stays, extending across the wrist joint as theydo, will tend to oppose movement of that wrist in a desired way; andwill thus be highly useful.

Since certain changes may be made in the embodiments of the inventionwithout in any way departing from the concepts thereof, it is intendedthat the foregoing shall be construed in a descriptive rather than in alimiting sense.

What I claim is:

1. A golf glove comprising a hand portion and a cuff made of softpliable leather or the like and adapted to fit fairly snugly over thehand, the wrist and a part of the forearm of the wearer, and a pluralityof stays carried on the back and inner side of the glove and extendingacross the wrist joint of the wearer in a direction generally parallelto the forearm, said stays being made of softly resilient material suchas will oppose without preventing movement of the wrist of the wearer inany normal direction.

2. A golf glove according to claim 1 further characterized in that oneof the stays extends from a point adjacent the crotch between the thumband forefinger along the side of the hand portion and the cuff of theglove, and another extends from a point adjacent a finger knuckle acrossthe back of the hand portion and cuff so that the first opposes movementof the wearer's wrist in a sidewise direction while the second opposesback and forth movement.

3. A golf glove according to claim 1 further characterized in that thestays are carried in pockets formed on the glove so that they may havesomemovement relative to the glove.

4. A golf glove comprising a hand portion and a cuff adapted to coverthe hand and to extend over the wrist and a part of the forearm of thewearer, means for adjusting such glove to fit the wearers wrist andforearm with a desired degree of snugness, a plurality of pockets formedon the back and side of the glove, and a plurality of resilient staysdisposed in such pockets and extending across the wrist joint of thewearer parallel to the forearm, the resilience of said stays being suchthat they will oppose but will not prevent movement of the wrist of thewearer in any normal direction.

HAROLD JOUBERT CALLAWAY.

